Male Circumcision and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in Female Partners: A Randomized Trial in Rakai, Uganda (original) (raw)

2011, Journal of Infectious Diseases

Male circumcision reduces acquisition of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in men. We assessed whether male circumcision reduces HSV-2 infection among female partners. HSV-2-negative, human immunodeficiency virus-negative female partners of 368 males who were and 372 males who were not randomized to receive male circumcision were enrolled. The incidence of HSV-2 infection among females over a period of 2 years was 6.09 cases per 100 person-years in the intervention arm and 6.32 cases per 100 person-years in the control arm (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.96 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .62-1.49]; P 5 .87). Among female partners of HSV-2-positive males, the incidence of HSV-2 infection was 9.55 cases per 100 person-years in the intervention arm and 11.17 cases per 100 person-years in the control arm (IRR, 0.85 [95% CI, .44-1.67]; P 5 .62). Contrary to findings in males, male circumcision did not affect HSV-2 acquisition among female partners.

Sign up for access to the world's latest research.

checkGet notified about relevant papers

checkSave papers to use in your research

checkJoin the discussion with peers

checkTrack your impact